Spring hinge



Nov. 21, 1933. E. N. BIEGLER SPRING HINGE Filed March 24, 1935 v llll j!12g bzz/arzd 42mm W ikf.

Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES SPRING HINGE Edward N. Biegler,Whitehall, Mich., assignor of two-fifths to Albert McCaleb, Evansto'n,

Ill. 7

Application March 24, 1933. Serial No. 662,557

' 1 Claim. (01. 16-180) My invention contemplates and providesimprovements in the construction and operation of spring hinges. a

A salient feature of the present invention is an improved mode ofoperation which is realized by reason of a novel relationship betweenthe spring element and the other hinge elements by which said springelement is carried and with which it cooperates.

Each of the illustrative embodiments of my invention which arehereinafter described and subsequently claimed is characterized by itssimplicity, sturdiness, cheapness of manufacture and the facility withwhich it maybe installed, have I its spring element replaced, or beconverted from a spring hinge to a non-spring hinge and vice versa. r

Other features, objects and advantages of my invention will appear fromthe following detailed I description, wherein reference is made to theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective illustrating anembodiment of my invention which is particularly suitable for use inconnection with gates and rela- 2'5? tivelyheavy doors and windows;

35.; parts throughout the several views.

Fig. 2 is a perspective illustrating an embodiment of my invention whichis particularly suitable for use in connection with light hingedclosures, such as screen doors and window screens;

" and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view illustrating certainmodifications which may be made in the style of hinge shown in Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar In Fig. 1 referencenumeral 10 indicates a portion of a gate and 11 a stationary structureon which the gate is mounted by means of a plu-' rality of hinges of thekind illustrated.

The hinge exhibited in Fig. 1 comprises two straps 12 and 13 which aresecured, respectively, to the gate 10 and structure 11 by countersunkscrews 14, 14. The contiguous ends of the hinge straps preferablyincline outwardly (i. e. away 45,; from the adjacent surfaces of thegate 10 and sta- 13, and the cylindrical portion 17 being carried bystrap 12. As thus far described, the hinge is or may be substantiallyidentical with strap hinges which are Well known and in common use.

The hinge pintle is in the form of one leg, 18, of a substantiallyU-shaped metal member 19, the

other leg of which is indicated at, 20. The-leg 18 preferably is passedthrough the aligned cylindrical portions 16, 16 and 17 from beneath andmay be upset, as indicated at 21, to prevent its withdrawal from saidcylindrical portions. -1

prefer that the leg 18 of the U -shaped member, shall be freelyrotatable with respect to each of the cylindrical portions 16,16 and 17.However, it may have a tight fit with one or both of the cylindricalportions 16, 16 if rotatable with respect to the cylindrical portion 17or, conversely, may have a tight fit with cylindrical portion 17. provided it is freely rotatable with respect to each of the cylindricalportionslfi, 16.

The leg 200i the .U-shaped member 19 con- 12 and 13 respectively or, inthe event the straps are quite short, against the surfaces to which saidstraps are secured. i

The arrangement of Fig. 3 is substantially identical with that of Fig;1, with two exceptions.

Firstly,-the;leg 18 of, theU-shaped. member 19. 0

is provided with areduced and threaded upper extremity which receives awasher 26 and a nut 27 to prevent the withdrawal of the said leg 18 fromthe aligned cylindrical'portions 16,

16 and 1'7. Secondly, the'spring-supporting leg 35 20 is provided with areduced upper end adapted to receive a washer 28 and a cotter pin 29 to7 prevent accidental displacement of the spring 22 from the said springsupporting leg.

In the arrangement of Fig. 2 a'screen door or 0 window screen isillustrated at 30, and its frame at 31. The hinge comprises straps orleaves 32 and 33, which are provided with the aligned cylindricalpintle-receiving portions 34 and 35,

35, respectively. Screws 36, 36, preferably countersunk, secure thestraps 32 and 33 to the frame door (or window) respectively.

As thus far described, the hinge is or may be substantially identicalwith familiar makes of.

light'hinges commonly employed in connection 9 with screen doors andwindow screens. I prefer,

however, that the remote extremities of the straps be beveled, asindicated at 37, 3'7, to prevent said ends from engaging and holding thespring arms, presently to be described, in case 5 the spring arms in theoperation of the hinge pass off the straps on to the adjacent portionsof the surfaces by which the straps are carried.

In this embodiment of the invention, shown in Fig. 2, the hinge pintleis in the form of one l leg 38 of a U-shaped member 39, the other leg 40of which constitutes a spring support. In this embodiment of theinvention, the upper end of the leg 38 is shown as upset at 41 toprevent its downward withdrawal from the aligned cylindrical pintlereceiving portions 34 and 35, 35.

In this form of the invention, the cylindrically coiled spring 42 hasits end portions bent and rebent to provide arms 43 and 4A which are notapt to become caught in the clothing of persons in the immediatevicinity of the hinges. These arms 43 and 44 bear and press against thestraps 33 and 32, respectively. 7

In the operation of each of the hereindescribed embodiments of myinvention, the arms constituted by the ends of the spring are free toslide outwardly on the hinge straps (i. e. away from their pivotallyconnected ends) when the door or window is opened, and while energy isbeing stored in the springs, and are free to move inwardly when the dooror window is moved to closed position by the energy thus stored in thespring. It is preferable that the extremitiesof the spring arms bearagainst the hinge straps throughout the operation of the hinge. However,it is contemplated that in some instances the hinge straps may be soshort that the extrem-v ities of the arms of the spring may move off ofthe hinge straps when the door or window is moved to its fully openedposition. In such cases, the ends of the straps are preferably beveled,as exhibited in Fig. 2. It is also possible to make the hinge straps soshort that the extremities of the arms of the spring will at all timesbear against the surfaces by which the straps are carried, rather thanagainst the straps themselves. While such an arrangement is contemplatedby the present invention, it is not preferred.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description, that many knowntypes of hinges may be converted into the hinge of the present inventionsimply by removing the usual hinge pintle, replacing it by the U-shapedmember of the present invention, and applying the spring of the presentinvention to the auxiliary leg of the U-shaped member, 1. e. the legwhich does not constitute the pintle, but is parallel therewith. Thusmanufacturers of conventional hinges are prepared to produce the hingeof the 30 present invention with but small additional tool expense.

Another important advantage of the hinge of the present invention isthat its spring may be readily removed for repair or replacement in the5 event that it becomes damaged or broken.

Still another advantage of the hinge is that it may be converted into aperfectly satisfactory hinge of the non-spring type simply by removingthe spring from the auxiliary leg of the U- shaped member, and may bere-converted into a spring hinge by replacing the spring in itsoperating position.

An additional advantage of the hinge of the present invention resides inthe fact that it is available for use in situations where the hingedmargin of a door or window is but slightly removed from a wall at rightangles to the plane of the closed position of the door or window. Insuch instances, that arm of the spring which usually bears against thehinge strap attached to the frame of the door or window, may bearagainst such wall or against a portion of the hinge strap turned intoengagement with such wall.

Having thus illustrated and described my invention, what I claim is newand desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a spring hinge, the combination of a pair of hinge plates havingpintle receiving portions, with a pintle comprising a rod ofsubstantially U-shape having a pair of parallel legs one of said legsserving as the pintle and the other leg being" located in spacedrelation thereto, and spring means, coiled about said second leg andslidably removable therefrom, said spring having oppositely extendingends slidably engaging the hinge plates and urging said plates in apredetermined direction.

EDWARD N. BIEGLER.

